The much-anticipated ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday will not discuss the future of Cyril Ramaphosa at the helm of the party.
This despite two national elections wherein Ramaphosa was in charge and ANC electoral support took a dive by more than 20 percentage points.
Speaking to the media at the ANC head office on Wednesday, party national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the meeting would solely discuss the type of government to be formed following the demise of the ANC as the dominant party in parliament.
As it relates to taking stock of what precipitated the poor performance, Bhengu-Motsiri said there would be another meeting to do just that and take a deep dive.
However, even when the meeting for internal reflection looms, the ANC will not blame Ramaphosa as the head for the shambolic performance.
Poor performance cannot go unpunished
Instead, the notorious “collective responsibility” that the party is known for when it wants to shield its presidents will take precedence, said Bhengu-Motsiri.
“Collective responsibility is contained in our constitution at all times, but collective responsibility does not mean we do not isolate areas of weakness,” she said.
“There will be a national executive committee, not tomorrow’s one because of time constraints, that will do a thorough assessment of the election performance and everything related to that.”
Some within the NEC have indicated that Ramaphosa’s future will have to be discussed in one form or another.
They argue that the party’s “dismal performance” cannot go unpunished and that the buck stops with him as the president of the ANC.
This grouping believes that Ramaphosa’s “problematic stance” on several issues, including the purging of the radicals within the ANC, contributed immensely to the fall of the party.
MK Party gives ANC cold shoulder
Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC is currently tasked with finding solutions and bringing about a government of national unity.
In this regard, the ANC has started engaging with parties such as the DA, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, IFP, and National Freedom Party.
Former ANC president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party had so far blue-ticked the ANC’s attempt to discuss working together.
The MK Party has made it clear that it is not willing to go to bed with the “ANC of Ramaphosa”, suggesting that it would only entertain it if Ramaphosa is removed.
The ANC has said it will not succumb to any demands for Ramaphosa’s head as a precondition for a coalition agreement, with party administration boss Fikile Mbalula branding this a “no-go area”.
